Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh’s history may not have been the most appealing during the Khmer Rouge era, but the capital of Cambodia today is a far cry from the beleaguered place it was during Pol Pot’s regime. In fact, Phnom Penh today is one of the best places to visit in the country, a garden already rich with cultural heritage yet also aggressively sprouting the shoots of modernization and urbanized prosperity. The Phnom Penh experience is an unforgettable one—perhaps a little raw due to its past as well as the fact of it still being a city in transition, but never artificial and certainly never dull.

Phnom Penh was originally called the Paris of the East. A lot of things have changed since then, yes, but there are still some parts of the city that will give you a whiff of the old French breeze. Some of the old colonial structures still exist—and the cuisine certainly does reflect a lot of French techniques. It makes for a wonderful dining experience in the city, especially with Phnom Penh becoming known for some of the best (and in some cases, impressively high-end) restaurants in the country.

A walk around Phnom Penh’s riverfront is a similarly memorable. The eager tourist will also be certain to pay a visit to the royal palace, which is sure to impress with the splendid harmony of its design. The city also houses the country’s National Museum, whose collections are arguably the most impressive in Cambodia, as well as the lovely Sisowath Quay. And for those unafraid to face the dark parts of the city’s history, there are such important historic monuments as the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

There are times when you should expect Phnom Penh to be a little deviant from the perfection of some of its greatest tourist sites, though—times when it can get a little noisy, a little crowded, even a little stuffy with the heat of several thousand people thronging the streets. But even then, it does not lose its charm if you know how to look at it. There is always something marvelously alive about this city, as though it were hell-bent on reasserting its life after those bloody years under the Khmer Rouge. And that, more than anything else, should tell you why this is a city worth visiting.

History not only remembers the glory days of a country, but also the ugly face of its wars. Cambodia has had its fair share of violence from the powerful dictatorship of one man, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge soldiers. He ravaged the country from 1975 to 1979 and in that short period of time was able to execute 17,000 people or more. Almost 10,000 bodies were dumped in an area in Choeung Ek, more popularly known as the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. According to historians and analysts, Pol Pot’s reign may have killed a total of 1.7 to 2.5 million people in a country with a population of only 8 million.

Killing Fields of Choeung Ek in Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Located about 17 kilometers from the capital city of Phnom Penh, Choeung Ek used to be a well-known orchard and Chinese graveyard. Today, it is marked by a Buddhist stupa and a show area that is filled with more than 5,000 human skulls. Some smashed or shattered, these are actual skulls found in the Killing Fields, each one representing an innocent life that was undeservingly cut short. …

Located in the capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s Silver Pagoda is a beautiful symbol of the Khmer’s religiosity and artistry. Also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Silver Pagoda is truly a stunning site that tourists should not miss. The structure is made of marble and concrete, its floors are laden with silver tiles, and it showcases an emerald Buddha and a 90-kg solid gold Buddha. Inside are precious artifacts and jewels.

Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of this slowly yet steadily rising Southeast Asian country. Cambodians have practiced Buddhism since the 5th century, at least, and could be as old as the 3rd Century according to some sources. Today, about 96% of the total population are Buddhists, and the silver Pagoda is one of their most precious religious structures. In fact, it was spared and left untouched by the Khmer Rouge. …

Clearly the most important and visited landmark in Phnom Penh is the Royal Palace near the Sisowath Quay. Within the compound of the Royal Palace is the equally important Temple of the Emerald Buddha that was opened in 1902 and renovated by King Sinahouk in 1962. During the renovation, Sinahouk laid on the main floor area a total of 5,329 pieces of silver tiles, which add up to more than 5 tons of pure silver. This is why the temple is more popularly referred to as the Silver Pagoda. The pagoda’s other name is “Temple of the Emerald Buddha” because of the emerald Buddha within the main worship area.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Known in Khmer as Preah Keo Morokat, the Emerald Buddha is not really made of emerald but of jade, while others believe it is Baccarat crystal from the 17th Century. Another precious image is the 200-pound Buddha in front of the altar. It is made of pure gold and amazingly studded with more than 2,000 pieces of diamonds. Depicting the fully enlightened Maitreya Buddha, said to come to earth in later times, this life-size gold Buddha was built inside the Royal Palace workshop in 1907. To add to its regality, King Sisowath (who reigned from 1904 to 1927) dressed the Buddha in royal regalia. …

The National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh is the country’s main and major repository of national treasures, relics and heritage. It is clearly Cambodia’s largest and most important museum of cultural history and historical and archaeological treasures.

National Museum of Cambodia

When not many people gave notice to Cambodian art, George Groslier, a Cambodian-born French historian, curator and author, almost singlehandedly revived international interest in local Khmer art and culture. He designed the museum, creating a new and unique architectural design called Traditional Khmer. The National Museum resembles portions of the Angkor Wat and undoubtedly represents a modern attempt to reinvent ancient Khmer architecture. He was also the museum first conservator, and practically gave his life to preserve, promote and popularize Khmer art and culture when the rest of the world did not care. …

Believe it or not, the tiny city of Phnom Penh in developing Cambodia has its own Olympic Stadium, although the summer games were never held here. Also referred to as the National Sports Complex, Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium can seat 50,000 people, but may be expanded to accommodate up to 80,000.

Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh – Cambodia

So, what is an Olympic Stadium doing in Phnom Penh?

Designed by Vann Molyvann, the well-known Cambodian architect, the stadium was completed in 1964 and was constructed to supposedly house the 1963 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games. However, the games did not push through because Cambodia had disagreements with the International Amateur Athletic Foundation. Cambodia was also then slowly drowning in its own sea of political problems. The expensive stadium was never used for what it was originally intended. …

At the heart of Phnom Penh are two memorials celebrating Cambodia’s independence: the Independence Monument and Liberation Memorial. The former is a memorial commemorating the country’s independence from the 90-year rule of France in 1953. This very prominent structure of a Buddhist stupa resembling those in Angkor Wat was built in 1958 and inaugurated in 1962. On the other hand, the Liberation Memorial is the younger landmark, having been built in 1979 to commemorate the Vietnamese capture of Phnom Penh and the end of the bloody reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge army.

Liberation Memorial in Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Just a simple Stalin-style marker, the Liberation Memorial is not as impressive as the Independence Monument. For one, the Cambodian people or Khmers do not give much regard to it since their history under the Vietnamese was not very pleasant. In fact, the locals neglected the memorial for 20 years and turned it into a convenient urinal. Yet, the Khmers are forever thankful to the Viet Cong for freeing them from Pol Pot’s iron hands. …